I am dedicating this post to my dear friend and fellow TBC (Tall Bitches Club) Sadie. A couple of weeks ago I got an unexpected package delivered to my house, when I brought it inside and saw Sadie’s return address I thought it was one of her cool paintings (that came later!) but then I saw the word “Perishable” all over the box, it was a whole box of persimmons from the tree in her backyard in California! I was speechless (hard to believe, I know) and excited beyond believe, a whole BIG box of persimmons, do you know how much these babies are at the grocery store? A lot! It took me just a bit to come up with the perfect recipe for Sadie and her family, so in the meantime we enjoyed them for breakfast. These bars are completely decadent and sweet but there is a little a secret… they are totally gluten-free and vegan! This means everyone can enjoy them, including my thoughtful amazing friend Sadie. I’m lucky to have her in my life and you’ll be lucky to have this recipe. ENJOY!

About Sadie:

1. Sadie is sweet, tender and soft spoken but if you mess with her she’ll kick your butt!

2. The story about how her and her husband JD met and fell in love is one of my favorite stories, and when I hear the song “At Last” by Etta James I instantly think about them.

3. She’s not only a terrific friend but she’s a TERRIFIC MOM to some of the sweetest, most polite and loving little girls you’ll ever meet.

4. She’s the kind of friend who just knows when you are having a bad day and will sent a “you doing okay friend?” text. I miss her tons.

Food:

Persimmon Date Bars makes 18 bars

Filling-

2 T. local honey

3 large persimmons, diced

1 1/2 c. Medjool dates, pitted and chopped

1 lemon, zest and juice

Crust-

2 1/2 c. oats flour (I grind oats in my blender to make the flour)

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. sucant (or any sugar you have)

1 c. coconut oil

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. real salt

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a small saucepan over medium heat, add all of the filling ingredients except the lemon zest and cook until tender and soft, about 10-15. Stir a few times to make sure the fruit doesn’t stick to the pan. Take the fruit of the heat and let cool just a bit, add the lemon zest.

2. Line your glass baking (9×13) dish with parchment or rub it down real well with coconut oil. I have done both, I think the parchment might work the best. In a medium bowl add all of the crust ingredients except the coconut oil, you can either cut in the coconut oil with a pastry cutter or your fingers. The last time I made these I accidentally melted the coconut oil, they turned out fine.

3. Spread half to 3/4 of the crust mixture evenly in your prepared baking dish, next spread the filling mixture over the crust. Finish with the remaining crust mixture, distribute evenly.

4. Bake 40-50 minutes, until golden brown on top. Let cool completely, (you can place them in the fridge to speed up the process!) and then slice into 18 bars. EAT!

*Note: I keep mine in the fridge, use a sharp knife when slicing them and be careful pulling out the first one.

We are huge fans of cashew milk at our house, we drink it exclusively. I have made every nut milk under the sun, almond, walnut, Brazil, coconut plus many blends. The cashew milk is a little richer and full flavored and when well blended creates no waste, the nuts blend completely smooth into milk! The plain cashew milk we use for smoothies and hot cereal on the weekends, really anywhere milk is called for. I have also been trying to create a spiced pumpkin milk for all you pumpkin loving fools out there buying those yucky processed substitutes at the grocery store. Hopefully you all saw my post for Homemade Spiced Apple Cider Pumpkin Syrup, this is the next step to making your own perfect pumpkin latte at home. Whip some up, now! ENJOY!

Food:

Cashew Milk Two Ways- Plain and Spiced Pumpkin

1 c. raw cashews, soaked overnight, drain and rinse

Plain Cashew Milk- makes 2 cups

1/2 c. soaked/drained and rinsed cashews

2 c. water

Directions:

1. Cashews and water go into the blender, blend well. I blend mine twice in my blentec.

2. Pour milk into your favorite glass bottle and store in the fridge. It will last 4-6 days.

1. All of the of the ingredients go into the blender and blend twice. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.

2. Pour into your favorite glass jar, add the reserved vanilla pod to the milk and store in the fridge. Will last 4-6 days.

Nutrition:

Cashews-Cashews are a great source of monounsaturated fats. Cashews have excellent nutritional value, they have a lower fat content and higher protein and carbohydrate content than most other nuts. The fat they contain is derived from oleic acid, a monounsaturated oil with benefits that help protect against heart disease and cancer.

This time of year when the days are shorter and getting colder all I want to do is cuddle on the couch with my sweetie and our fury children with a bowl of comfort, this Farro and Eggs is perfect for that. This is a one pot dish that can be eaten anytime of the day and requires minimal ingredients but is big on flavor. With the holidays just around the corner we all need a few dishes up our sleeves that are easy to throw together and will please just about anyone. I don’t know about you but we will be busting at the seams in December with guests and I can’t wait to dazzle my friends and family with this one, ENJOY!

1. Drain farro and rinse. Place your favorite pot on the stove, add farro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, 1 T. olive oil and spices and 1/2c. water. Turn heat on and bring to a boil, when the pot begins to boil turn heat down to medium low and let it simmer away stirring a few times. Set the timer for 25 min.

2. When the timer goes off check the liquid, if you think it needs more add another 1/2c., next crack the eggs on top of the farro and season just a bit with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pot and let it all cook another 5 min or until the whites off the eggs are set and the yolk still look sunny side up! If you don’t like runny yolks cook for another few minutes until they are set.

3. Pull the pot off the heat and garnish with fresh herbs and extra olive oil, serve IMMEDIATELY!

Kindly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Martha Stewart

Nutrition:

Farro- Farro is essentially a form of Spelt. Spelt’s cultivation is thought to have begun sometime during the mid- to late Neolithic (Stone Age), 6000 to 5000 B.C.E. an area that spans parts of modern Iraq, Iran and Jordan, making this one of the earliest crops grown in the Western World! Farro is an Italian staple grain, so when buying look for Farro but know spelt can be used in its place (but not in this recipe). The texture will be different. Farro is not labeled ‘organic’ but historically has been known to have not been sprayed due to the fact that it will not survive if treated with harmful sprays. Farro/Spelt is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, complete protein and fiber. Spelt is a good alternative for those allergic to wheat. The gluten found in Spelt is more fragile than that found in wheat, so it is more easily digested.

Why should we soak and sprout our grains?

Grains contain phytic acid, phytic acid is a substance in grains that inhibits absorption of minerals. By soaking grains phytic acid will be reduced and the minerals in the grains will be unlocked so that you can benefit from them, making the more digestible and making the vitamins and minerals more available for the body to utilize. Sprouting also neutralizes enzyme inhibitors present in all seeds. These inhibitors can neutralize our own precious enzymes in the digestive tract. Complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas are broken down during sprouting, and a potion of the starch in grain is transformed into sugar. Finally, numerous enzymes that help digestion are produced during the germination process.